Story: Lisa Swift | Photo: John Mellor
Demonstrators gathered at Ellesmere Green on 26th June in a March for Dignity for Asylum Seekers.
Local residents joined other campaigners from across the city to walk from Ellesmere Green to the City Hall. The aim of the small march was to raise awareness of the poor treatment of asylum seekers in the UK, and to remind people that they are here seeking sanctuary.
Local resident Victor Mujakachi was on the march, he has been in The United Kingdom for 10 years and seeking asylum for 6 years after he could not return to Zimbabwe safely. He explained to the Messenger why the march for dignity was needed.
“The march was in response to tightening immigration rules by the coalition government and cuts to legal aid funding to asylum appeal cases. And there has been a rise in anti-immigration feelings in the general public which also affects asylum seekers.”
“Asylum seekers are not people who come here to depend on welfare, they are displaced people who have no choice but to be here. The march was about raising people’s awareness of these issues, so they know some of the information from the main stream media is wrong. Asylum issues should be separate from immigration issues. By changing attitudes we hope this will lead to a change in government policy eventually.
“At the moment the initial asylum process can take about 6 months, during this time people get support which includes accommodation (separate to all other housing budgets and systems) with a small weekly allowance. If their claim is rejected, all support is removed. Many people cannot go back to where they have come from and the government leaves them to be destitute, because we are not allowed to work and we are not entitled to any benefits. This is where ASSIST and similar charity organisations come in and help people who become destitute and homeless.”
“In some cases the government recognises it is not safe for people to go back, for example there is no safe passage to Eritrea. There was also a time when The U K government took a moral policy against deportation of Zimbabweans, but their asylum claims were still refused even though it is not safe to send any one back. Despite these rulings the government still rejects people’s claims. No one understands why the Home Office operates like this. There are even cases of one family member being given asylum but others being rejected without explanation when their circumstances are similar.
“Asylum claimants are less than 3 % of total immigration in the UK. In fact the UK ranks very low in the league of tables of countries hosting asylum seekers. The countries with a large number of asylum seekers are Pakistan and South Africa. The mainstream media does not provide this information instead they project the UK as a magnet for asylum seekers from all over the world.. They are people who are traumatised and running away from terrible things and they should be treated with care and support.” Instead, they end up in an open prison of extreme uncertainty and suffering that is if they are not re-detained.